Category: Politics

It seems that a deal between the Westminster government and the EU is entirely feasible. Whether the DUP will endorse it is debatable, as is the backing of the ERG. Sunak can almost certainly get it through Parliament, albeit with the backing of Labour. This is riski for Rishi as Johnson and the ERG are mustering troops for an assault on his leadership. The real test will be the spring elections which are just a couple of months away. If the Conservatives do as badly as expected, the hyenas on the right will be circling.

Mean while Coffrey tells us that we should be eating turnips not tomatoes! At least Marie-Antoinette replaced bread with cake! Perhap Lee Anderson could include turnips in his 30p meals. Add in some Bully Beef from Raab and Braverman – a dishi Rishi could be proud of!

Seriously Rishi needs to sort the cabinet out soon. Appeasing the ERG for party unity before the welfare of the country will inevitably lead to his downfall, regardless of whether the NI agreement is a success or not. There is a definite sizeable minority who support Britain First or whatever the latest conflagration of the racist right is. However in most areas I believe that getting those 15% of votes will be at the cost of a similar proportion moving to the LibDems or Starmers ‘tory friendly” Labour. This should be a landmark oportunity for the Greens too, unfortunately they are probably to concerned with being WOKE and gender issues. However important these issues may seem, climate change, the environment, the economy and social justice are so much more important. Transgender issues will have their day – if we can work out the rest of the shit first. And where are the LibDems?

Regarding the local elections – photo ID needed. I suspect most young people have a driving licence or passport. Those disadvantaged people in society, and especially cities will possibly be barred from voting. The other section of society that may struggle is the older sector. OK I am nearly 70 but my passport is nearly out of date, I only have a paper copy of my driving licence. Would an out of date copy of either be relevant? There is a poster about this – small and surrounded by many other posters for recycling etc. How many people will turn up on the day and be denied the opportunity to vote? Will the police be on standby?

Interesting article on geopolitical divide in Guardian. Is Russia an ally? UK 0%, EU 2%, USA 5%, Turkey18%, China 32% and India 50%. and basically a similar split on friend or foe. With our almost totally homogenous press we tend to forget that many parts of the world have not forgiven our misdemeanours from the days of Empire. The anti-woke brigade brook no argument that everyone should move on from the past.

What does the survey show? Perhaps just how easily the MSMedia can manipulate public opinion? Perhaps there is a more complicated story to be developed here, rather than Putin should be assassinated and everything will be ok (which several avid Daily Fail readers have told me. Have the EU and NATO been too quick to assimilate former Warsaw Pact countries into their organisations. The Cold Wr happened and with it propaganda by both. sides. Eastern Europe has not been, and is not, a beacon of western democracy (Hungary and Poland and Serbia, although the later is even more complicated). From what I know and have read, there is no doubt in my mind that Putin was wrong to order the troops in. But it is also surely a fault of diplomacy that we have this situation. Is Obama at fault by not taking a stronger stance? Did the Trump era send messages to the Russians that he was totally consumed in home affairs? Maybe Syria was a catalyst? The west was aware of its mistakes in Iraq and Libya, where we really screwed the situation, Algeria where we largely left it to the French and Mali and Chad and Niger likewise. Did we allow Russia to fund Assam whilst we just supported Turkey who were more occupied with crushing the newly confident unofficial Kurdish state. The Kurds were perhaps the most effective military group against ISIS – but seem to have been sold out by all – again.

Either way it would seems that Presidents Biden and Xi need to stop posturing and start negotiating before both feed the industrial/military complexes in each country. Where does the UK fit bin all this – basically it does not! We are part of NATO (but contribute less than 10% of USA, and fewer troops than Turkey).

War is always brutal but this one seems to be affecting the general population on one side and large numbers of conscripts (and criminals released from prison for national service) on the other.

Turkey – once it stops shaking! – would seem to be a key player in the future due to its key geopolitical situation straddling 2 continents. A large area and a largish population (87 million – and will probably level off later this century at 100million), I think mainly muslim, but with sizeable other religions. Not quite part of the European economy and the likes of Farage, Johnson and their EU colleagues will ensure that never happens.

Which makes me wonder – the EU has accepted countries from many different situations, and seems to have done rather well at preventing violence and promoting a type of democracy. Spain and Portugal are countries that are largely peaceful, Greece another that many EU haters will point out has actually prospered recently (after a huge dip, and an acrinomyious fallout).

Rest of the world – Taiwan – I think the domestic situation in China will have to deteriorate seriously for the to contemplate an invasion. They know that the USAwill provide weapons, and probably Japan. They have always said they want to reclaim it – there is no logic to do it now, unless they think the USA is too occupied with Ukraine. But surely they have seen the way the Ukraine has resisted the Russians., It seems unlikely that the population of Taiwan would support a Chinese invasion. So why do the right wing keep raising this prospect.

Is the American establishment using a possible stray weather balloon which may have been collecting legitamate data, or even been spying – they all do it so not a big deal?, to suggest that Chinese technolgy (that competes with American technology) is spying. We have had newspaper stories saying that UK Police Software is vulnerable! What to? Revealing extreme misogynie and racism?

Are our techno genious’s not able to create firewalls, etc. I personally believe they could.

So the ERG will rally support against any concessions to the EU made by Sunak. Johnson is making a start to a bid to become PM again. 100 MP’s make back these two causes. There is no mention of how to solve the problem and make relationships with Europe better for industry and the people of the UK. Sunak should make a start by kicking people out of the Party. Starmer may have a similar problem on the left.

The tail that wags the dog! 35 MP’s are active supporters and another 29 have been members in the past. That enough to overturn the Conservative majority, thus this small but tight group yields power beyond its numbers. The DUP will be canvassing them for their support against any deal with the EU. Their visceral hatred of all things EU is ludicrous.

Basically about 60 MP’s have the ability to veto anything the government puts forward that they do not like. Does Sunak have the balls to take the whip away from the 35? Would they vote against the government? Many are likely to lose their seats anyway, as things stand, so may be willing to be bloody minded.

Sunak has a very difficult few months – maybe less – before he loses his job. At the latest this will be the next GE. Will he last that long? Will Johnson try to come back (he is buying a £4million plus mansion in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in Oxfordshire (there are surely a plethora of jokes here! – especially as it has a moat). Oh what has happened to hard work ensuring wealth in this country when a moderately funny and debatably honest hack has this money to chuck around).

Groups like the ERG should not be funded by public money on the left or right or centre. Politicians should listen to constituents – Johnson, please note.

Centrica profits trebled to £3 billion, yet asked for, and got warrants to invade peoples houses and instal the expensive pre-payment meters. That most of the profit, like, BP, Shell, Exxon and the rest of the fossil fuel companies came from exploration and supply on the international market is irrelevant on moral terms. However we live in an age which lacks morality and environmental responsibility. Profits rule. Companies push their share prices higher by buying back shares and then pay themselves a whacking bonus’. Dividends go to shareholders with money to spare rather than those who cannot afford heating. Welcome to a cold hearted cold mean Britain.

World’s response is still abject. I would suggest a permanent team of experienced professionals, funded by the UN, to collate information about key resources (rescue teams, tents, food, etc.). They should be organise rescue and support efforts immediately. I am sure all these things exist but their co-ordination seems awry.

Obviously with Syria politics played a big part. Today IKEA announced that it was sending 5000 flat pack buildings – fantastic, but they should be signed up for donations like this in advance. “IKEA proudly sponsors UN Disaster Relief Fund” – big publicity splurge by companies and governments, and individuals. Shareholders should ask why has my company not supported this?

The bureaucracy should be small and actual efforts outsourced who know what is needed and how to do it. No Covid backhanders here!

are set to lobby the government to allow them to continue to pump shit into our rivers and seas without fines. I guess they are really saying that they want permission to avoid doing their job. They have a virtually guaranteed profit set by OFWAT. They claim that a clean up would cost hundreds on every households water rates. Not with me in government it would not. Profits would be based on compliance with the law – if their share price goes down juster-nationalise them.

There is too much talk about the lack of inward investment (basically pleading for tax breaks for companies). Sort out Brexit and there would be no problem. I accept the freedom of movement problem, but we have, and always have had control over migration. Investment in infrastructure and education, tax breaks for renewables, etc. would make this country welcoming again. We had years of low corporation tax, and look where that got us.

Freeport seems like a disaster waiting to happen on so many fronts. But for a government benefit of ideas there is little option than to pass the buck.

Council taxes will go up 5% this year just about everywhere. Wages for council leaders are also set to increase. Why should any council (public service) pay over 100 people more than £100000. Time for decentralisation from Westminster and focusing on the local councils. Open government is desperately needed. I know who my local MP is, and how he votes! I do not agree with him. but it is transparent to a degree. Who is the leader of the council? How much are they paid? What are their policies? What are the difficulties they face?

Weston-super-Mare has little super about it nowadays. It is the sinkhole of beautiful North Somerset. Positives from the council are the discrete flood defences. Street furniture along the sea front is nice. However it reflects the Banksy “dismal land” exhibition. I am being rather snobbish here when I state that it is a down market sea side town reliant on day trips and b&b visitors from the lower deciles economically. I was once told by the Head of Tourism for the town that it was not even a fish and chip town, but a burger and chips one. Parking is extortionate – I realise the Council needs funds, but really! The town centre is empty properties, tattoo parlours, betting shops, charity shops, phone shops and a smell of weed. Now Marks and Spencers has gone it offers little to the weekend shopper from the surrounding wealthy hinterland. I live 15km away and have not been there since pre-epidemic.

W-s-M has lots of positives. Not just a rather gorgeous beach (it is still there when the tide goes out to reveal the less glorious, but more interesting for wading birds, mud banks), but a pedestrianised High Street and an indoor shopping centre (Sovereign Centre). My idea would be to slash business rates but also place restrictions on the types of shops. Incentivise local crafts and cafes to offer a different experience. Keep the very touristy bit to the sea front, James St, West St, area and Dolphin Square. Then develop an up market (or middle market) to the north. W-s-M needs both to succeed.

Transport – I really should apply for my free bus pass! But a reasonably priced regular/ or organised (e.g. In Sandford and Banwell and Locking camp there will be a bus at 9am, or what ever, and a return at 4pm or whatever, on a Saturday for the cost of £5. For a 50 seater coach that would pay the operator £250. Sell tickets in advance and lay on extra coaches if necessary. We have the technology! The £5 could probably be doubled. Bus companies have lost the will to enterprise under the governments pro-car regime.

This area is fantastic and to have a smelly drain at its centre is sad!